Does photographing a moment steal the experience from you? | Erin Sullivan

Translator: Joseph Geni Reviewer: Camille Martínez

翻译人员: Jiasi Hao 校对人员: Cissy Yun

What is the most beautiful place you have ever been?

你曾去过最美的地方是哪里？

And when you were there, did you take a picture of it?

你在那里的时候 有没有给眼前绝美的风景拍照？

Here's a place that tops that list for me.

这个地方 是我心中排行榜的首位。

This is Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park in Utah

这是日出时分 犹他州峡谷地国家公园的

at sunrise.

梅萨拱门。

It's the traditional homeland of the Pueblo, Ute,

这是普韦布洛、犹特、派尤特 和纳瓦霍印第安原始部落的

Paiute and Navajo people,

传统家园，

当你身在其中，

and when you are there,

it is absolutely stunning.

就会感到那里的景色绝对迷人。

The sunrise illuminates the bottom of the arch orange,

日出照亮眼前的拱形石块， 使之呈现出温暖的橙色，

and then behind it you see the buttes and clouds and cliffs.

之后在它的后面， 你能看孤峰、云朵和悬崖。

But what you might not see from my photo here

但是你无法从这张照片上看到的是

站在我身后同时在拍照片的 另外 30 个人。

is the 30 people behind me who were also taking photos.

And these are just the committed people, the sunrise people, right?

那些只是坚定的人们， 热爱日出的人们，对吧？

So when you think about that,

所以当你想到这点，

there must be hundreds if not thousands of photos of Mesa Arch taken every week.

每周即使无成千，也必有上百人 在梅萨拱门前拍下照片。

I've been sharing my photography on Instagram for years,

几年来，我一直在 Instagram 上 分享自己的摄影作品，

and it started to become really interesting and funny, even,

逐渐这甚至开始变得搞笑有趣起来，

just how many similar photos of the same places

我开始在网上看到

不计其数的同样地点的相似照片。

I started to see online.

而我也参与其中。

And I was participating in it.

So this made me wonder:

所以这便让我思考：

Why are we taking photos in the first place?

我们最初拍照片的原因是什么？

Sometimes, I visit a popular landmark --

有时，我参观一个热门地标景点——

这是亚利桑那州的马蹄湾——

this one is Horseshoe Bend in Arizona --

我看到所有人， 都拿着他们的手机和相机，

and I see all the people with their phones and cameras out

who snap a photo,

拍了张照片，

just to turn and get back in the car or walk back to the trailhead.

立马就转身回到车里， 或是走回登山口。

And sometimes it seems like we are missing the point

有时这看起来像是

我们失去了前来此地

of going to this place to experience it for ourselves

亲身经历、 亲眼见证这景色的意义。

or to see it with our own eyes.

When I'm behind the camera,

我在镜头后，

I notice the smallest details:

注意到了一个很小的细节：

随着日暮降临，

the layers of light in the mountains

山上的光层逐渐消退——

as the light fades at the end of the day;

the shapes that nature so expertly makes,

大自然如此熟练地绘制出如此形状，

abstract and yet completely perfect.

抽象，且近乎完美。

I could go on and on here musing about the intricacies of this planet

我能整日整夜地在这儿沉思 这个星球上难以理解的万事万物

and the way that it makes me feel.

以及它们带给我的感受。

Photographing the beauty and complexity of this world

拍摄这个世界的美丽和复杂，

for me is like making a portrait of someone that I love.

对我来说就像是 为所爱之人画一幅肖像。

当我拍下一张照片，

And when I make a photograph,

I have to think about what I want it to say.

我需要思考通过这张照片 我想表达些什么。

I have to ask myself what I want it to feel like.

我需要自问我想让这张照片 传递出怎样的情感。

When you're communicating through an image,

当你通过图像交流时，

每一个富有创意的选择都很重要。

every creative choice matters.

Sometimes, I plan to share my images,

有时候，我计划分享我的摄影图像，

and other times, I take them just for myself.

又有时候，我选择将它们占为己有。

I currently host a video series on the future of the outdoors,

我最近在主持一部 关于户外未来的系列影片，

and for one of the episodes we wanted to explore

其中一集，我们想要探索

the relationship between photography and outdoor spaces.

拍照摄影和户外空间的关系。

I learned about the research of Kristin Diehl

我学习了克里斯汀·迪尔

和她在南加州大学 同事的研究——

and her colleagues at USC,

who studied photo-taking's effect on enjoyment levels.

他们研究的是 拍照摄影对于享受程度的影响。

They found that when we're behind the camera,

研究发现当我们在相机身后，

when we're the ones taking the picture,

当我们是拍照的那个人的时候，

我们能更加享受自己的体验， 而非更少。

we enjoy our experiences more, not less.

But it wasn't true all the time.

但实际情况并非总是如此。

If the person took the photo solely with the intention of sharing it,

如果一个人拍照的唯一目的 是分享照片，

享受程度便不会因此提升，

there was no increase in enjoyment,

because they didn't do it for themselves.

因为他们并没有为自己 而做这件事。

所以这就指向了一个很重要的区分：

So this points to an important distinction:

photography can enhance your experience

带着意图去拍照摄影

if it's done intentionally.

可以加强你的体验。

The intention piece is what matters.

但是你的意图是什么至关重要。

As a photographer, I've really had to check myself on this.

作为一名摄影师， 我确实一直在提醒自己这一点。

When does it help me to have my camera out,

什么时候我应该拿出相机拍照，

and when do I just need to put it away?

又什么时候 我需要将它收好，放在一边？

On a trip to Alaska, I had the opportunity to photograph Alaskan brown bears.

在去阿拉斯加的旅途中， 我曾有机会记录下阿拉斯加棕熊。

I was on a boat with four other photographers,

我当时和其他 4 个摄影师 同坐在一条船上，

and we were all having our minds blown

我们同时都惊讶于

自己能和这些动物

at the same time

in such close proximity to these animals.

如此近距离接触。

那是一种情感体验。

It's an emotional experience.

Being eye to eye with these bears gave me a feeling of connection

和那些棕熊四目相对

给了我一种 超乎言语能形容的情感连结。

that transcends words,

这种情况下拿出相机， 能够增加那个瞬间的体验。

and having my camera with me in this case enhanced that.

We were all creating independently but also all completely in the moment,

我们所有人 和自然、和彼此一起，

都在独立创造 并投入于那个瞬间。

both with nature and with each other.

I so clearly remember

我还如此清晰地记得

capturing the water droplets and the motion as the bears swam

自己捕捉水滴和运动的场景， 因为棕熊在游泳，

and the cute cubs following their mothers.

后面还有一个可爱的幼崽 正跟随它的母亲。

That group and I will have that experience together

那群人和我 将会共同拥有这一段经历，

and these images to look back on

以及这些照片， 可以让我们一次又一次

time and time again,

回顾那段经历。

and photography is what enabled us to share this in the first place.

拍照摄影最初 是能让我们分享瞬间的东西。

Other times, I choose to leave the camera behind,

另一次， 我选择将照相机放在一边，

and I think that choice ultimately improves both my experience

而那个决定，我认为最终让 我的体验和工作

and my work.

都获得了提升。

I recently flew to the South Pacific island of Tonga

我最近去了汤加王国的 一个南太平洋小岛，

to swim with humpback whales.

和座头鲸一起游泳。

I noticed myself feeling pressure

我发现自己感到有压力，

and a certain obligation to take the camera with me,

也觉得自己必须带上相机，

即使有时我只是单纯想要 收获体验。

when sometimes I just wanted the pure experience itself.

And the experience is seriously amazing.

那个体验真的非常令人惊喜。

You're talking about being in the water

我们在说的体验是——

with a curious baby animal the size of a station wagon

你和小旅行车大小的 好奇动物宝宝一起在水里，

while you are surrounded by particles that float around you like glitter,

被闪闪发光的浮游在水面上的 颗粒物质环绕，

and the mom swims gracefully below you.

于此同时，动物妈妈优雅地 在你脚下游泳。

好几次，显然，我确实带上了相机，

There were times, obviously, when I did take my camera with me,

and those were really amazing to capture as well.

那些体验也确实很值得记录。

但是这个设备非常的笨重。

But the setup is pretty big.

就像这个大盒子。 它看起来像是这样。

It's like this big box. This is what it looks like.

And so this is between me and the whales,

这就在我和鲸鱼之间，

and at times that feels like a block between you and reality.

有时感觉像是有一大块东西 阻挡在你和现实之间。

Is there a difference when it's just your phone?

如果只是用你的手机 会有什么差别吗？

Last year, I went to Uluru in Central Australia,

去年，我去了澳大利亚中部的 乌鲁鲁（艾尔斯岩石），

which is this massive rock that towers over the desert.

这是一块耸立在沙漠中的巨大岩石。

This is sacred land to Anangu,

对阿南格族人来说 这是一片圣地。

who are the Aboriginal people from this area

他们是这块区域的原住民，

and the traditional owners of the land.

也是这块土地的历史所有者。

There are particular spots in Uluru that you cannot photograph professionally,

在乌鲁鲁的有些地方 从专业角度讲是不能拍照的，

because they are culturally sensitive,

因为那些是非常文化敏感的地方，

equivalent to sacred scripture to Anangu.

等同于是神圣经典的存在。

So because of this, most of my photographs are from either far away, like this one,

因此，我大多的摄影作品 不是从距离很远的地方拍的，像这样，

就是在公园内的某个特定角度。

or from specific angles in the park.

You could say that some of the most interesting and beautiful visuals in Uluru

你会说有些乌鲁鲁 最有趣，视觉效果最佳的地方

are located in these sensitive areas,

就坐落在那些敏感地区，

but the request not to photograph them is an explicit and direct invitation

但是原住民对于禁止拍照的请求 是给我们的一个明确且直接的邀请——

to learn more about the land, its importance and its people.

了解更多关于这片土地 及其对当地人的重要性。

Isn't that what we should be doing anyway?

这不是我们本就应该做的吗？

So my visit to Uluru quickly became not about me

所以我在乌鲁鲁的行程很快 就变成“不关于我”，

but about connecting with the place.

而是“关于和地点建立联系”。

Ironically and unsurprisingly,

具有讽刺且毫不奇怪的是

I have found that presence and connection

我发现存在和联系

also happens to make for more compelling images.

也能让图像变得更具吸引力。

We can probably all point to social media

说一个能分享 我们旅行和生活照片的好地方，

as being a good place to share the images from our travels and from our lives.

我们可能都会指向社交媒体。

We not only share pieces of the world that we have seen

我们不仅分享 我们看到的那部分世界，

but also parts of our day-to-day experiences.

也分享部分我们每天的日常体验。

And if we're applying intentionality to the photos we take,

如果我们在拍照时加入刻意的成分，

then hopefully we're sharing intentionally too.

那希望我们 也能带有目的性地分享。

For me, allowing people to see pieces of my story and my perspective online

对我来说，在网上让人们看到 代表我的故事和观点的摄影作品

has reminded me that I'm not alone.

一直在提醒我：我并不是一个人。

It's helped me build support and community

这帮助我建立起支持和社区，

to do the same for others.

为他人做同样的事。

Let me be clear:

让我讲清楚：

I am not trying to discourage you from taking photos.

我不是在尝试叫你别拍照。

Even if thousands of people have been to whatever exact location

即使成千上万人已经 去过同一个地点，

and taken whatever exact photo,

拍过同样的照片，

I encourage you to get out and create too.

我也会鼓励你走出门去， 创作你自己的照片。

The world needs every voice and perspective,

这个世界需要 每一个声音，每一个观点，

and yours is included.

包括你的。

But what I'm trying to show you is that the phone or camera

但我在尝试告诉你 不论是手机还是相机，

doesn't have to stay out all the time.

它们不需要一直在手边待命。

What I'm trying to encourage you to do

我在尝试的，

是鼓励你把它放到一边， 只是那么一瞬间——

is to put it away, just for a moment --

a moment for you.

属于你的一瞬间。

So let's go back to Mesa Arch,

所以让我们回到梅萨拱门，

the way that the rock glows orange

岩石泛出橙光的方式

and the lovely layers of blue in the background.

还有背景中可爱的多层蓝色。

What if the next time you were somewhere amazing,

如果下次我们在某个很棒的地方，

you couldn't bring your camera or phone?

但你却没有带上相机或手机？

What if you were not allowed to take any pictures at all?

如果你完全不被允许拍照？

你会感到被限制吗？

Would it feel like a limitation?

Or would it feel like a relief?

还是会感到放松？

So what can we do?

所以我们能怎么做？

Well, the next time you feel the impulse to take out your camera or phone,

下次你有 拿出相机或是手机的冲动，

或是就我而言， 一旦你意识到你已经拿出它们了——

or, in my case, once you realize you have already pulled it out --

(Laughter)

（笑声）

First: stop.

首先：停下。

Pause.

暂停。

Take a deep breath.

深呼吸。

Look around. What do you notice?

环顾四周。你注意到什么？

你是否在和其他人一起 经历这一瞬间？

Are you experiencing this moment with someone else?

Remember that this moment only comes once.

记住，这样的时刻转瞬即逝。

Photography can be part of a beautiful experience.

拍照可以成为美好经历的一部分。

Just don't let it be a block between you and reality.

只是别让它成为你和现实的阻碍。

Be intentional,

保持刻意。

and don't lose a beautiful, irreplaceable memory,

别因为太过专注于拍下好照片

because you were too focused on getting the shot.

而丢失那个美好且无法替代的记忆。

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）